Welcome to the Censored Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide! This comprehensive site examines the cuts and edits applied to classic Warner Bros. cartoons when broadcast on television, unless noted otherwise. Gags that are deemed inappropriate for children, violent, racist, sexual, etc. are simply excised from the affected films. The following serves as a companion to these "lost" moments. ~Article~

I had no idea there were banned Looney Tunes in the world! Learn something new every day. (Which can suck,if there's only so much room left in the old brain pan...)

There are a number of Looney Tunes cartoons that were either edited down or just pulled from the airwaves at some point in the 70s or early 80s. I've seen most of them, but it's been a long, long time. Some of them were unbelievably racist, with characters doing blackface and other things that you would never see today, justifiably so.

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost

I never saw them as racist, even when those that were still on air were available to watch in my time zone. They're just funny. And Looney made fun of everyone, in any case. White Elmer Fudd, old women, kids, everything was fair game for a chuckle.

Their racist in the same way that South Park is today. It was a reflection of society at that time which was a racist society. I don't think LT was making any kind of social statement, but simply mirroring the social climate of the time in a funny manner.

I'm not sure about that. A few of those old Bugs Bunny cartoons were really over the line. There is a Canadian Mounties episode where at the end they are going to shoot Bug and Elmer Fudd gives him his last wish. Bugs says "I wish... I wish ..." and then breaks into "Dixie". In the version most people have seen, it ends with a chorus of "ooohhhhhh" from the mounties. In the original, however, it went on for another 40 seconds or so where they did a cartoon version of a minstrel show in blackface. I'm not sure how you can argue that wasn't racist. I think even Warner Bros. conceded that point.

Btw, I missed Dregs comment earlier. Yes, I agree that LT was not making any kind of statement and was just doing with the tide of the times. That being the case, tough to argue with them being pulled from the public airwaves, though.

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost

There was definitely a time that they needed to be pulled from the air, more for insensitivity IMO than blatant racism. Basically when the fight against such portrayals was a gaping wound it was not right. However now that they can be viewed in the "historical" context they were conceived in they can be released.

I think there could have been an element of that, maybe. You need to be careful with that, though as intentions are tough to read.

When you make your money by getting people to watch your product, putting forth a product that invites controversy is not a smart business proposition. Most businesses go well out of their way to avoid controversy. And, when one strays into a controversial realm, there is usually a quick message delivered that makes all other business think "well, screw that".

I'd be surprised if LT was really trying to make a social commentary. It's possible that was their intent, but I'd be surprised.

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost

I saw some of those PBS back in the 70's. Some of the WWII Bugs Bunny cartoons are especially interesting, showing Japanese soldiers in a very racist light, Nazis, etc. I think that "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is still on YouTube. There are some semi-racist or naughty Betty Boop cartoons on YouTube. Betty less on the radar than Warner Bros. cartoons.